


Good-For-Nothing

by NanakiBH



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Banter, Hugs, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Post-Canon, Speculation, Spoilers, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-25 05:31:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17718992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NanakiBH/pseuds/NanakiBH
Summary: Appearances can be deceiving.





	Good-For-Nothing

**Author's Note:**

> ***CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR KH3***
> 
> Happy 2/9, XigDem Day!!
> 
> Recently, I've been really, extremely enjoying the theory that Demyx is the Master of Masters, so I wrote this whole fic under that premise. If you haven't considered it before, please consider it with me.

After the Foretellers took their leave, Xigbar remained, standing in the empty place where they'd been. The battlefield of the first Keyblade War had become the scene of the second, just as prophesied. He hardly had to do a thing to guide it into place. Looking back on it all, his role seemed minor in the scheme of things, and yet, for all he'd witnessed and experienced, he felt as though he'd done a lot.

His part was complete, and with that came a sense of accomplishment.

There was no fanfare to celebrate its completion, however. Nor was anyone there to pat him on the back, to tell him that he'd done a good job. He'd simply helped an old man fulfill his destiny. And, while he was sure that there was a lot more to it than that, he didn't preoccupy himself with the details. All that really mattered was that he'd followed his Master's instructions, and everything had gone as he'd planned.

For the first time in ages, his feet were directionless.

Such a sense of freedom was unsettling. For as arduous as the task had been, following the Master's instructions had never been a burden.

Before he could take his next step, he had to wait for further instructions.

 

He heard a sound from the distance; someone's feet hitting the parched ground as they ran toward his direction. Hearing their frantic shouting brought an irresistible smirk to Xigbar's face. He turned around and watched as their figure became clearer through the settling dust clouds.

“Hey! Wait!” Demyx shouted, waving his arms to get his attention. He sounded winded, like he'd been running for a while. “Wait for me, I said!”

He didn't have to run. Xigbar wasn't going anywhere. He just stood there and waited with his keyblade at his side.

When Demyx reached him, he doubled over and clutched his knees, breathing heavily. He lifted his head, ready to say something, but he needed to pause again and take in a few more breaths, looking like he was going to pass out. Sometimes, it was impossible to take him seriously. If he'd spent a little more time applying himself in the Organization, he wouldn't have gotten so out of shape.

When he finally composed himself, he straightened up and looked around.

“Huh? Where is everybody? We're the only ones here?” he asked, his brow creased with confusion.

“They left. You just missed them,” Xigbar said.

He let them go on ahead. His story had taken a while to tell, but it had taken Demyx even longer to get there.

Demyx crossed his arms and pouted. “Aw, jeez... And after so long, too...”

“They didn't recognize me. They would've had an even harder time believing that you're you.”

Demyx giggled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh boy, ain't that true? I've gone through quite a few overhauls at this point. It's kinda funny...” As his eyes strayed to the ground, his playful attitude slipped away into the wind and his voice became a bit quiet and ponderous. “I barely even remember what I used to look like. Maybe they could've told me.”

It felt wrong to hear him being anything other than cheerful, like a bad omen.

“Doesn't matter,” Xigbar said, shaking his head. He flashed him a grin. “Anyone would recognize you with the way you act. No matter what you look like, you've always been the same guy.”

“Well, you know what they say – it's what's on the inside that counts!” Demyx said, patting his chest.

Just like that, he was back to his usual self. His relentless cheerfulness was always reassuring. If the person who knew everything was able to smile dauntlessly, then that meant there was nothing to worry about.

For the longest time, Xigbar had been on his own with nothing but the Master's confidence in him to assure him. Although he was still performing his role at the time, a certain weight was lifted from him when Demyx joined the Organization. He was no help at all, but it was enough just to have his presence there, knowing that he was nearby, that his whole existence hadn't been a figment of his imagination.

“I can't believe you made it through everything without anyone batting an eye. You gonna finally drop the act now? The Organization's finished. You've got no reason to keep acting like a hapless idiot. Unless... _that's_ your true self?”

“Do you have any idea how bored I was?” Demyx said, putting his hands on his hips. “So bored! Bored out of my skull! All that Organization business was _soooo_ dull!”

“Could've fooled me. I thought you looked pretty comfortable doing nothing.”

“Well, I mean... It wasn't always so bad...” He trailed off, laughing sheepishly. “It was for the sake of appearances, you know? I didn't have a choice. I had to act like a good-for-nothing. I wasn't used to fighting without a keyblade, but if I used my full magical strength, everyone would've gotten super suspicious of me. Besides, if I got more involved, it would've thrown off the order and then all of your hard work would've been for nothing. Couldn't risk it.”

“Yeah,” Xigbar said, his grin softening. “I know.”

It was amusing, how defensive he was acting about it. Xigbar knew that the situation was out of his control. He couldn't begrudge him for taking it easy.

He couldn't begrudge him for anything, even the long and tiresome life he'd led until that point.

The Master was the one who sent him away to avoid taking part in the first Keyblade War.

He owed him his life.

 

That silly, awkward good-for-nothing was everything to him.

 

“It's weird,” Demyx said softly, linking his hands behind his back. “I was with you the whole time, but... I kinda missed you, Luxu.”

“Ugh, don't make me sick. Hearing you say my name with that face gives me the chills.”

He had a point, though.

The Master couldn't always be there, but he'd been watching him since the beginning. He knew everything he'd been through. Xigbar didn't like thinking presumptuously, but it wasn't hard to believe that it might have been difficult for him to do nothing but watch. The eye in the center of his keyblade watched everything without emotion, but the two eyes that looked at him then seemed to shimmer with a whole world's worth of feeling.

There was regret and fondness and feelings from more lifetimes than Xigbar could imagine.

In all that time, Xigbar hadn't found the words to tell him what he felt. The experiences he collected were too many to count. What should have probably been a simple feeling had become complicated beyond recognition.

It was a good thing the two of them had outgrown the need for words.

With a smile, Demyx put his arms around him and accepted all of those unspoken things into himself.

“Master...”

“How long as it been since that time? More than a thousand years? I bet you counted the days. I hope it wasn't too hard for you.” He slid his hands over Xigbar's back and comfortably rested his cheek on his shoulder. “Luxu, you did well, coming this far on your own. I knew I could count on you.”

Xigbar wanted him to know that he was still reliable, that he could still count on him for any task. For that reason, he didn't want to display even an ounce of weakness in front of him, but he couldn't help himself. It had been ages. Even when they were close, they had to be distant for the sake of the order. He'd held back for too long.

Even if they didn't look like themselves anymore, they recognized each other. There was nothing more valuable than that.

He didn't want him to leave again.

So he held him tightly.

“Missed me too, huh? You're still just as cute as you were back then.”

After a moment's peaceful silence, Demyx moved his hands to Xigbar's shoulders and took a step back, gently separating them. He stayed there for a moment longer, wordlessly looking at Xigbar's face, and Xigbar confidently held his gaze. Seeming satisfied with whatever it was he saw there, a grin spread across Demyx's face from one ear to the other. He patted his shoulders and wandered away, putting his hands back behind his back.

Although Xigbar was itching to hear what their next course of action would be, he hoped that the Master could spare him a little more of his time – a nostalgic taste of what life had been like in the beginning.

“Oh, you've got the box.” Demyx's face lit up when he noticed it. “Nice! Thanks for keeping it safe.”

He knelt down and opened the box to take a peek inside. Once he confirmed that its contents were indeed safe, he shut it and took a seat on top, crossing one leg over the other.

He patted the other side of the box while looking up at Xigbar, inviting him to sit next to him.

The space beside him was narrow. He must have intentionally left him little room to force them to sit hip-to-hip.

There was really nothing there anymore... Miles of dry ground stretched out toward the distance and uneven stone mountains embellished the horizon. It was just the two of them and the dust clouds. Occasionally, in the distance, the wind angrily whipped into a whirl and carried the sand and rocks from the ground into the sky. It was like the world itself was trying to punish the long-gone keyblade wielders for the devastation they brought with their pointless fighting.

They were the only ones, and yet Xigbar couldn't escape the feeling that they were being watched from above by thousands of bitter eyes.

Xigbar lifted his keyblade and looked into its eye.

Demyx turned to look at him.

“Yes?”

Startled, Xigbar leaned away. “Don't do that...”

“Hmm? Still find it creepy, do you?” Demyx teased.

“As if. Me and this keyblade are like old buddies now. I got attached to it, so it was quite a pain to watch the old man swinging it around all willy-nilly.” He turned it over and held it out for Demyx. “That said, aren't you gonna want it back now?”

“Huh? Why?” He put a hand over Xigbar's and pushed it back toward him, declining the offer. “I have my own. I made that one for you. Now that it's back in your hands, you can keep it.”

Xigbar looked down at the hand covering his, feeling something tightening in his chest.

It wasn't a bad feeling. It wasn't bad at all.

“You just wanna keep tabs on me, don't you?”

“Does that bother you?” Demyx asked, a sly look on his face.

Although Xigbar was tempted to place his other hand over the one holding his, he resisted and pulled away.

He laughed.

“Nah.”


End file.
